Tales from the inside, paramedics, etcetera

In today’s column, the Albany County District Attorney’s office is called to account on an account, Mark Blanchfield parts ways with his employer and many are hoping things won’t become foul in Rexford (or anywhere else for that matter).

Also in the news today, Albany County District Attorney David Soares “wants a team of experts to examine his office’s financial practices following a scathing audit that found shoddy handling of public dollars.”

Mortgage swindler Aaron Dare was a no-show at his sentencing in federal court; his lawyer cites ongoing medical problems. Federal prosecutors say they’d be happy to get him the best medical care the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has to offer.

Finally, the Colonie Town Board heard two compelling stories last night from people who were aided by the town’s participation in the State Police Lifeguard Air Rescue Program.

It was a human element to a story that has so far shaped up as a dispute between the town’s EMS union and Supervisor Paula Mahan, who is ending the partnership Sept. 1 amid concerns about the cost and the safety of town workers.

The union has produced numbers that appear to show the program makes the town money off what its paramedics bill while aboard the helicopter. But Mahan has questioned those numbers.

Last night, retired State Police assistant chief pilot Thomas Corrigan said the risks involved in the flights are statistically smaller than those involved in driving around town in ambulances, which town paramedics do daily.

And in a testy, raised-voice exchange with a union leader for the paramedics, Gary Favro, Mahan seemed to suggest that the cancellation of the program was not even an issue for the union to get involved in because no jobs are on the line.

Favro called on the Town Board last night to extend the program’s end date beyond Sept. 1 to give the town more time to consider its options after an Aug. 14 public hearing on the matter. The State Police are looking for new paramedics to staff the missions.

The board took no action.

While Mahan, a Democrat, would not rule anything out, she seemed committed to the Sept 1. date but said the town would do everything it could to accomodate the State Police during a transition.

Town Board member Brian Hogan, a Republican, said he favored giving troopers more time.

“It’s only fair to the State Police,” Hogan said. The three-member Republican minority on the board has criticized Mahan’s decision to stop the partnership without input form the full Town Board, saying that members of the EMS department suspect the supervisor’s decision was influenced by disgruntled former employees and volunteers.